Excluding the PED....

[Reductor]

....which pali-english dictionary do you prefer?

I ask because I am keen on paper books verses internet ones and so plan to purchase a good dictionary. I do not, however, want to wade through the huge amounts of information in the PED each time I look up a word.

So, I humbly ask: which do you prefer.

[beeblebrox]

I've been looking at "Concise Pali-English Dictionary" by A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera. Seems like it should be good for that purpose. Also, someone (on Amazon.com) recommended to write down the Pali alphabet order on the first page if you're not used to it... that's a good tip.

[yuttadhammo]

I've been looking at "Concise Pali-English Dictionary" by A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera. Seems like it should be good for that purpose. Also, someone (on Amazon.com) recommended to write down the Pali alphabet order on the first page if you're not used to it... that's a good tip.

+1 This is a good concise dictionary, with some useful compounds that are harder to find in (or not in) the PED. Some of the meanings are simplified, so it is still useful to have the PED on hand for accurate translation. The CPED is also on-line if you would like to check it out before you order it:

http://www.viet.net/~anson/ebud/dict-pe/index.htm

You can also download the DPR, which has both the PED and the CPED (as well as the DPPN and CEPD) easier than an Internet resource, though not as nice as a paperback. It also includes a Pali quiz based on the CPED:

http://pali.sirimangalo.org/

[Reductor]

You can also download the DPR, which has both the PED and the CPED (as well as the DPPN and CEPD) easier than an Internet resource, though not as nice as a paperback. It also includes a Pali quiz based on the CPED:

http://pali.sirimangalo.org/

Actually, I have the DPR installed and tinker with it a bit. Its nice, so thank you for your efforts; I'm confident it will become an important tool for me as I progress a little further.

That said, I think I better have as many offline resources as I can in the early stages as it sure doesn't take much time on the computer before I'm typing "....dhammawhee......" And then the focus seeps from my mind. Haha.

I think I'll go with CPED for a start. I've ordered a copy of the Buddhist Dictionary by nyanatiloka, which I have in PDF but haven't yet explored in detail.